


it's just you and i tonight (why don't you figure my heart out?)

by plasticinedreams



Series: Zalex Week 2020 [2]
Category: 13 Reasons Why (TV)
Genre: M/M, One-Sided Attraction, Sharing a Bed, possibly?, zalexweek2k20
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-08
Updated: 2020-07-08
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:15:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25127596
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/plasticinedreams/pseuds/plasticinedreams
Summary: "So...there's no other bed?"
Relationships: Charlie St. George/Alex Standall, Zach Dempsey/Alex Standall
Series: Zalex Week 2020 [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1818730
Comments: 1
Kudos: 19





	it's just you and i tonight (why don't you figure my heart out?)

"So...there's no other bed?"

Alex made a lot of bad decisions. Agreeing to a summer-long road trip with his sort-of-crush after senior year, leaving his _definite boyfriend_ back in Crestmont was one of them. It started out innocently enough, with Zach asking Alex at the graduation party to accompany him for his, in his own words, "sick-ass broad trip". Alex seriously questioned why he found the boy attractive sometimes. Zach planned an expedition full of what he viewed as "critical landmarks" across the US. So of course their first stop, after a six-and-a-half-hour drive, was Disneyland. Alex had insisted they book a motel a few miles away from the parks, partly because of the cost, partly because if he had to suffer through a second of that God-awful music that was constantly playing from the resort speakers, he would take it upon himself to find and destroy every one. Not that either boy had enough money for a stay in luxury. Zach was kind of rich, sure, but there was no way in her right mind Karen Dempsey would let him blow their savings on two king-sized beds and a giant glass shower for a total of three whole days in Anaheim.

Which led them to their current predicament. The room they were renting out was 32 dollars a night, glaringly inexpensive for a place right outside one of the biggest tourist attractions in the world. _Absurdly_ cheap, in fact. And maybe they should've looked at reviews before jumping at the deal, because the motel? Well...

"It's not even built for two people! Sure, I would've probably lasted three nights in a queen-size with you, but not this! We'd barely fit on it together!"

The bed was a twin. A made-for-one, not even three-foot wide, fucking twin. Hell, Alex wasn't even too sure it was long enough to accommodate Zach's 6'3 stature. He was prepared to share a bed with the older boy. It was downright impossible to avoid, given they would spend the next three months in and out of hotels. But not one that would most likely result in them cuddling when they fell asleep. Which would result in the urge to kiss Zach, which would result in the immediate feeling of guilt, because _Alex had a boyfriend._ A boyfriend he loved, who loved him, who was probably sitting around thinking about how much they loved each other. And there Alex was, fantasizing about sleeping with his straight best friend. 

"I mean...I'd offer to sleep on the floor, but..." Zach gestured to the ground beneath them. The bed wasn't the only shitty part about the room. A large brown spot stained the carpet by the door, and Alex stepped in a wetness of unknown origin while trying to calculate the furthest distance he could get from the other boy without falling off his side of the twin. He concluded about five inches. And that the damp patch wasn't as much of a patch as it was a layer spanning over three-quarters of the space. It went without saying a small bed was the lesser of two evils.

"I'm gonna go change?" It came out as a question. Alex mentally slapped himself. _God, he couldn't even think about the prospect of sharing a bed without fucking up his words._

Zach just nodded, his dark hair bouncing slightly. Something told Alex he wanted to say something, but stopped himself last minute. He got like that a lot. They both did.

"So...yeah." Alex grabbed a pair of pajama pants stuffed into his overnight bag and shuffled towards the bathroom, closing the door behind him. Well, more like slamming it, since the hinge must've been caught on the frame. But what else would he expect from the motel?

In that moment, while slipping his jeans down, he remembered a very troubling fact. _Zach slept shirtless._ Which wouldn't have been a problem if they had adequate space between them, but of course they didn't. They had five inches. _Maximum._ And just imagining a half-naked dude practically on top of him in the middle of the night was enough to send a shiver down Alex's spine. Then an immediate lurching feeling in his stomach followed, because once again, _he had a boyfriend._ Who would more likely than not break up with him if he ever found out about the _details_ of the road trip. Alex was already on thin ice after leaving for three months, with no plans of even contacting Charlie over the summer. If anything, he deserved to be dumped.

He examined the fleece pants he had put on, much too hot for a night in mid-June with no working AC. But it was overheat or sleep in his boxers, and it was clear which option Alex would choose.

"You almost done in there?" A muffled voice echoed. Alex hadn't realized exactly how long he was in the bathroom until Zach started banging at the wooden door.

***

"Have you picked a major yet?"

Alex didn't know if Zach trying to make conversation with him made their situation feel less awkward or more. Him admitting _no, he hadn't even considered what he wanted to study_ would just lead to more questions, so he responded as vaguely as possible.

"I've thought about some things, but nothing is for sure yet, y'know?"

He knew Zach was accepted into Davis to study voice and guitar. Even though Alex had never heard the other boy sing, getting into a college late notice on an audition probably made him a good musician. 

"I get it. Even though we've been through more than most adults already, college...it all seems so grown-up. Like I'm not ready for that type of independence." Zach turned to face Alex, his breath warming the younger boy's cheek. They weren't even the ideal five inches apart, more like three at most. And it didn't bother Alex nearly as much as he thought it would. Sure, he had to sleep by Zach's naked chest, but most of it was covered by the sandpaper-like sheet, and they were consciously trying to avoid eye contact. Until they started talking, and Alex knew he was screwed. 

"Yeah, I mean, I'll have Jess, but you? You'll be all alone." Alex glanced over to Zach, who was staring at him with his deep brown eyes. The heat on his cheek spread to all over his face and body.

"I'll get to see Charlie every day." Zach sang. _Right. He should've remembered Charlie._

"I think I should break up with him," Alex blurted out before he could register it. Something he hadn't even considered until it came from his mouth. He shifted fully so he could return Zach's gaze.

The other boy frowned, eyebrows risen in disbelief. "Dude you guys are perfect together, why?" 

And they _were_ perfect. Which maybe was why Alex felt so awful. If Zach noticed his breathing stop, he didn't mention it. "In case you don't remember, I'm spending my summer with you and not Charlie. I'm investing all my energy on you." Alex felt like he was cheating, but Zach didn't have a clue to its extent. He moved his attention to the digital clock on the other side of him. It shone back a bright red 2:37, but the accuracy was questionable. Either way, it was late, and he contemplated pretending to fall asleep, just to avoid any more conversation from the older boy. 

"It's not like we'd hook up or anything. We're best friends, I'm sure he understands that." 

Alex choked on his saliva. _Well, there went the plan._

"Yeah," he muttered quietly. It wasn't like he was _expecting_ their road trip to turn into something more, but hearing it from Zach himself stung more than he anticipated.

"Besides, you're like a brother to me, man."

And Alex would be lying if he said it didn't feel like he was getting shot again.

"Alex?" Zach whispered, then looked at his best friend. _"Oh fuck, he's asleep."_

But the younger boy had merely closed his eyes, still hearing every word Zach said.


End file.
